Gas turbines include numerous components such as, for example, a combustor for mixing air and fuel for ignition, a turbine blade and rotor assembly for producing power, and a fuel nozzle assembly for providing fuel to the combustor for operation of the gas turbine. Some gas turbine components, such as fuel nozzle assemblies, are positioned near the combustor and are exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time. As a result, durability limits of these components can be reached or exceeded, requiring reconditioning (i.e., repair, refurbishing, and/or at least partial replacement) of the components or manufacturing of new-make components to allow continued operation of the gas turbine.
Reconditioning of gas turbine components is often challenging, due to the difficulty of removing and replacing materials, the difficulty of reusing components, and/or the difficulties caused by reduced integrity of structures after reconditioning is performed, among other reasons. As a result, a new and improved method of reconditioning turbine components that addresses these issues, among others, is needed.